Close enough? #1
When Paul was in Athens he began to share to tell people about Jesus, he did so through the words of their poets and philosophers. He explained that all of this was to draw people to God:
"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:27
This week we are going to consider [meditate upon, if you like] our own intimacy with God. Hopefully these short notes of mine will be a springboard for your own experiences.
As you sit reading these words [wherever that may be] you might find yourself pausing, for just a moment, and thinking to yourself, "I don’t feel God around me." That's OK; don’t panic. This probably doesn't mean that you are somehow under attack from the enemy [of your soul]. It also doesn't mean that you are evil because you have thought such a thing. It is just natural. Generally speaking we cannot see God around us, which is why our faith is brought into play. These thoughts come in all the time, all we do is measure them against our faith. We do not hold onto the thought that questions if God is with us because by faith we know that He is! This is His steadfast promise (Matt 28:18-19).
So, even though we cannot see God we must also realise that this does not mean that He hides from us either.
Paul was saying to the Athenians that the reason that their poets said such beautiful and profound things was so that when they read such words they would be inspired to reach out for God himself, the source of such beauty and wisdom. The same is true today; as we listen to the radio the words we hear sung sometimes cause our thoughts to reach out for God himself.
Most mornings I will tend to wake up before my wife. This means that I have to get up, go to the bathroom and then get dressed all without turning the light on (so that she is not disturbed). During the summer this is OK but in the winter it means that I have to navigate my way around in complete darkness. In fact, during these winter months, when I return to the bedroom to get dressed, I can see absolutely nothing. It is a strange feeling because for all I know the room may not exist at all. So I stand in the doorway and decide [because I have no sensory information to base this on, just memory of a previous experience] that there is a room there. I try to remember where things are (like the bed, wardrobe etc) and suddenly my mind is filled with the geography of the room. I walk forward and more often than not find the corner of the bed where I expect to find it even though I still cannot see it; my fingertips can feel it but that is all.
Sometimes this is like our lives. Often we do not know what each moment will bring [despite our best laid plans] but our faith reminds us of God's presence and then occasionally our 'fingertips' touch Him and we know the geography we see in our mind through faith is true.
"Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts." James 4:8
Nearness to God does not occur when He wants to be close to us (because He always wants to be close to us). Closeness to God, intimacy with Him, only occurs when we move closer. God invites us but the intimacy we experience is in our hands; will we choose to come near [surrender completely] to God?
"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:27
This week we are going to consider [meditate upon, if you like] our own intimacy with God. Hopefully these short notes of mine will be a springboard for your own experiences.
As you sit reading these words [wherever that may be] you might find yourself pausing, for just a moment, and thinking to yourself, "I don’t feel God around me." That's OK; don’t panic. This probably doesn't mean that you are somehow under attack from the enemy [of your soul]. It also doesn't mean that you are evil because you have thought such a thing. It is just natural. Generally speaking we cannot see God around us, which is why our faith is brought into play. These thoughts come in all the time, all we do is measure them against our faith. We do not hold onto the thought that questions if God is with us because by faith we know that He is! This is His steadfast promise (Matt 28:18-19).
So, even though we cannot see God we must also realise that this does not mean that He hides from us either.
Paul was saying to the Athenians that the reason that their poets said such beautiful and profound things was so that when they read such words they would be inspired to reach out for God himself, the source of such beauty and wisdom. The same is true today; as we listen to the radio the words we hear sung sometimes cause our thoughts to reach out for God himself.
Most mornings I will tend to wake up before my wife. This means that I have to get up, go to the bathroom and then get dressed all without turning the light on (so that she is not disturbed). During the summer this is OK but in the winter it means that I have to navigate my way around in complete darkness. In fact, during these winter months, when I return to the bedroom to get dressed, I can see absolutely nothing. It is a strange feeling because for all I know the room may not exist at all. So I stand in the doorway and decide [because I have no sensory information to base this on, just memory of a previous experience] that there is a room there. I try to remember where things are (like the bed, wardrobe etc) and suddenly my mind is filled with the geography of the room. I walk forward and more often than not find the corner of the bed where I expect to find it even though I still cannot see it; my fingertips can feel it but that is all.
Sometimes this is like our lives. Often we do not know what each moment will bring [despite our best laid plans] but our faith reminds us of God's presence and then occasionally our 'fingertips' touch Him and we know the geography we see in our mind through faith is true.
"Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts." James 4:8
Nearness to God does not occur when He wants to be close to us (because He always wants to be close to us). Closeness to God, intimacy with Him, only occurs when we move closer. God invites us but the intimacy we experience is in our hands; will we choose to come near [surrender completely] to God?
posted by Andrew at 9:38 pm
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